List of Eyeshield 21 characters
This article is a list of the characters appearing in the Eyeshield 21 manga (written by Riichiro Inagaki and illustrated by Yusuke Murata) and anime. Main characters ( ) The Deimon Devil Bats are the main protagonists of Eyeshield 21. The team is the from and is the high school incarnation of the middle-school club, the Mao Devil Bats, which was founded by Hiruma Yoichi, Kurita Ryokan, and Takekura "Musashi" Gen. At the beginning of the series, Hiruma forces Sena to join the team and operate under the series-eponymous codename "Eyeshield 21". He becomes the Devil Bats' ace running back. Over time, the team improves as it gathers more members and becomes a complete team. Opponents Ojo White Knights The is a fictional American football team from the Kantō region of Japan in the manga and anime series Eyeshield 21 They are one of the main rivals of the Deimon Devil Bats. * Mascot: Knight with a lance on horse. * Helmet logo: Blue shield with a white crucifix. The design is similar to the Doshisha Wild Rover team in Japanese college football, although the Doshisha Wild Rover actually play in the Kansai region, rather than Kanto where ES21 is based.Global Helmet Project: Kansai Collegiate AFA Div.1Doshisha Wild Rover Homepage * Team colors: White and blue — akin to the Indianapolis Colts' away kit. * Jerseys feature a lightning bolt across each shoulder. * Notes: ** The team is based on the old football maxim "Offense Wins Games, But Defense Wins Championships". If the opponent can be prevented from scoring, then only one point is needed to win. This is the direct opposite of the Deimon Devil Bats, in which ultimate offense is the best strategy. Hiruma: "If we can score 100 points to their 99 points (the number of points Ojo scored on their first game against Deimon), then one point is all we need to win." ** Like Zokugaku, Ojo also has a university school, whose football team is the "Silver Knights". Currently, their players consist of the legendary "Golden Generation", known as the pinnacle of the ultimate defense and who came the closest to defeat the unstoppable Shinryuji Nagas during their time (prior to Deimon doing so this football season). However, it is questionable whether Ojou would lose to Shinryuji again with Ojou's strength during the Kanto Tournament with the Ballista and Everest Pass and a dramatic improvement in the main four (Takami, Shin, Sakuraba, Otawara). Seijuro Shin * Seiyū: Naoya Gomoto * Voice Actor: Crispin Freeman (進 清十郎 Shin Seijūrō) Shin is the ace linebacker and 2nd year student of the Ojo White Knights American football team. Known for his obsessive training habits and defensive power, he and Sena initially face off early in the Spring Tournament, where Sena gets a understands real american football and Shin discovers the true power of the Speed of Light Pace. After making a promise that they would meet again, he obsessively trains for their eventual rematch, which would not happen until the semi-finals of the Kantō tournament. Later on it was revealed that Shin is the reason why Hiruma recruited Sena on the team. Hiruma and the newly founded Deimon Devil Bats challenged Ojo White Knights to a practice game where Deimon lost with a score of 99-0. Dumbfounded by the outcome, Hiruma recognized Shin as being invincible but Shin responded by telling Hiruma that his weakness is a player that can run so fast that his Spear Tackle would be useless. Shin and Sena have played against each other two times. The first was in Sena's second game ever played. Sena was only able to get past Shin once after many tries in that game. Their second game was in the semifinals leading to the Christmas Bowl. Deimon won the game and advanced to play in the Christmas Bowl. Before the X-mas Bowl, Shin was called by Hiruma to become a special trainer for Sena. After the World Cup, Shin joins Ojo Silver Knights in his college years. 40-yard dash record: 4.2 seconds Bench Press: 140 kg Position: Line Backer,Running Back(in balista) Jersey Number: 40 Haruto Sakuraba * Seiyū: Mamoru Miyano * Voice Actor: Tony Oliver (桜庭　春人 Sakuraba Haruto) A typical, good-looking pop idol who works in an advertising company called Jari Productions. When he was young, he used to watch sports all the time and dreamed of becoming a professional athlete. In high school, he managed to enter the team as a Wide Receiver after drawing much attention from the seniors due to his height; however, the coach, Shoji, was more interested in Shin. Shin soon surpassed Sakuraba, becoming the ace of the team. Sakuraba felt a little envious of Shin's success and achievements, and was disappointed with himself for not being able to soar to greater heights. He eventually became less interested in training and sports in general. One day, Miracle Ito of Jari Productions noticed him and decided that he would be a good model. Feeling wanted and pleased to be in the spotlight for once, Sakaruba agreed to work for him. He is constantly misunderstood. Because of his popularity, people mistake him for the ace of the Ojo team, and disregard the true ace, Shin. Sakuraba feels pressured to do well and to live up to assumptions people made about him. Then,in an accident in the Ojo vs. Deimon game changes his will. Sena, as Eyeshield 21, accidentally tackled Sakuraba while running, injuring him when he ran onto the field to grab a card that Miracle Ito told him to wear as advertisement. In the hospital, after meeting Sena, Monta and his fan Torakichi, who admires Sakuraba for his catch in the game against Deimon the year before, he finally decides to stop being pessimistic and to succeed just as Shin has done. Just before the Fall tournament started, he quits working with Jari Productions and focus on American football with the help of his friends after he heard Takami complimenting him and how he had waited for a friend like Sakuraba, someone like him who understood his predicaments. Before the opening ceremony, he cut his hair in a crew-cut style and started growing a goatee to show his renewed vigor in pursuing success in American football, much to the dismay of Miracle Ito. His skills as a wide receiver rapidly improves and Sakuraba is considered a real ace. He was also complimented by Shoji as the player with "the strongest heart" in Ojo, and by Unsui as one of the big four in the wide-receiver battle (along with Ikkyū, Monta, and Tetsuma). He was recruited as a receiver for the Japanese Representative team in the World Youth Competition. After the World Cup, he rejoins Shin & Otawara in Ojo Silver Knights. *40-yard-dash: 5.0 seconds, 4.92 seconds in Volume 11, 4.86 seconds in Volume 25 *Bench-press: 50 kg, 70 kg in Volume 11 *Position: Wide Receiver *Height: 186 cm(6'2") *Jersey Number: 18 *2nd Year student (Grade 11) *The teams once nearly made a total loss to Sankaku Punks by 6-7, but thanks to Sakuraba's improved receiving skills, they dominated the rematch and won 82-0 in the fall tournament. TECHNIQUES/STRATEGIES *Everest Pass — Sakuraba's height plays to his advantage as a receiver, especially since Ojo's quarterback Ichiro Takami is also tall. He launches the ball at a high angle over the field, in which Sakaurba leaps up to catch it. The pass is at such a great height that the opposing team can do little about it, even if they know where it will land. It's simply too high to intercept. However, this technique has a weakness since Sakuruba still relies on SEEING the incoming ball in order to catch it. Blocking his field of vision will stop him from properly receiving the pass. This weakness is evident as he is now unable to intercept passes meant for Monta, since the Deimon receiver can catch balls from behind his head, without even looking. Sakuraba cannot keep his eyes on the ball with Monta charging straight at him without turning around. His own attempt to copy the Devil Backfire is thwarted as Monta displayed his ability to catch a football with one hand. *Twin Tower Arrow — An advanced form of the Everest Pass, this technique combines the laser like passing strength of Hiruma or Clifford with the height of Takami and Sakuraba. Used during the world cup to defeat Tatanka's Human Dome, as the pass is so high, even he can't block it. *Sagittarius: A combination of Sakuraba's Everest Pass and Shin's Trident Tackle, the duo take a formation where Shin blocks any opponents approaching them (such as Sena and Monta) while Sakuraba reaches for Takami's pass. Unlike the Everest pass, Takami throws a short pass to prevent Monta from using the Devil Backfire to intercept. This strategy has its own weakness by dividing Shin's attention away from Sakaruba, causing Takami to change strategies, and making the quarterback vulnerable to sacks. Ichiro Takami * Seiyū: Kenji Hamada (高見　伊知郎 Takami Ichirō) Ichiro Takami is the Ojo White Knights' quarterback. However, at first, a childhood leg injury left him unable to run as quickly as quarterbacks needed to be. After the coach told him he could not play due to this drawback, he decided to take on more training and study calculations for passing to other players. Finally, after his fourth year on the team, he became the team's starting quarterback for the Kantō Tournament. He is analytical and has some ability in reading the movements and strategies of opposing teams. His passes are done with precision and accuracy, though they are not on the same level as Hiruma's or Kid's. With the height of Sakuraba and Takami, they develop the Everest Pass. With the rematch between Deimon and Ojo approaching, he worked with the team to perfect the Ballista, using it in match against the former "Golden Generation" of the Ojo White Knights. The Ojo Knights lose the game in the final second with Sena beating Shin by going faster than the Speed of Light Pace. At this point, he and the other White Knights became spectators at the Kanto Tournament Finals. He has also decided to go to a medical school, because of the scar on his leg, he wants to help others with the same problems. In the first game against Russia of the Youth Football Cup, Takami and the others are given uniforms by Agon, while the other uniforms for the original starting players were hid by Agon. Takami demonstrates that even a team of players who didn't pass the tryouts and make it on the original starting team could start a fair chance against the Russia team. After making consecutive touchdowns, however, the going starts to get rough, when Russia's Rodchenko begins to defeat the cooperation plays of Onihei and company with his world-record strength and sacks Takami. After the World Cup, He & Manabu Yukimitsu join Shuuei Doctor Fishes in their college years and they come to watch the match between Enma vs Koigahama. *40-yard-dash: 5.7 seconds *Bench-press: 85 kg *Position: Quarterback *Height: 192 cm (6'4") *Jersey Number: 3 *3rd Year Student (Grade 12) TECHNIQUES/STRATEGIES *Everest Pass — Takami came up with this strategy to compensate for his slow speed by using both his height and Sakaruba's to make an extremely high pass that is almost impossible to intercept. However, in addition to the receiver's weakness with the Devil Backfire, the pass also suffers from the same flaws as the Nasa Aliens' Space Shuttle Pass. It takes a bit longer to initiate, thereby leaving Takami open to blitzes, and it is further compounded with his lack of speed, making him especially vulnerable to being sacked. *Ballista — In chapter 206, it was revealed that the Ballista is a formation that involves putting Shin into offense. This was information that Takami, the Knights' quarterback, offered up freely when Hiruma gatecrashed the Ojo Festival Quiz. When it comes to the first Ojo drive of their game against Deimon, Takami is so confident of the formation's success that he actually tells the Bats which way the play will go — and he doesn't bluff them either. The nature of the Ballista is to use a Spear (Shin's trademark move) to open up a hole for the ball carrier to get through — and Shin's power is such that he actually lifts up Kurita. Makoto Ōtawara * Seiyū: Kenji Nomura * Voice Actor: Patrick Seitz (大田原誠 Ōtawara Makoto) Otowara is a large lineman for the White Knights. Ōtawara is a very loud and brash person, who always says what he thinks. He has a flatulence problem, and makes no effort to hide it. As Shōji, the White Knight's coach puts it, Ōtawara is plain stupid, and even he admits it freely. However, Ōtawara can be very insightful, which genuinely shocks just about everyone. Despite all this, Ōtawara is the captain of the Ojo defence and leads the team in the huddle. His overall power and simplistic way of doing things makes him perfect for the line, both on offense and defense. When motivated, he can rip apart two opposing rookies. In spite of how crude he can be, he's a nice guy at heart, though he is the epitome of the dumb jock. Always competing with Kurita, Ōtawara usually loses due to Kurita's drive. During the game with the Sado Strong Golems, it was revealed that he too has been training to increase his speed in order to use his strength and bulk more effectively. Ōtawara is now able to smash through the stoutest of opponents like a battering ram. After Deimon scores with a minute left in the semifinal of the Kanto tournament, the realization of the possible end of Ojo's Christmas Bowl hope awakens the beast within, making him lash out against anyone and everyone on Deimon's side and wearing them down as seconds tick away in the game. The touchdown made by Shin and the squib kick Ōtawara made during Deimon's final drive seemed to clinch the match. However, this was not to be, as he is confounded by Hiruma's Killer Hornet tactic and Sena getting past Shin to score the final points. He was last seen shedding tears and hugging Kurita as this was his final season. He becomes a personal training coach for Komusubi for the Christmas Bowl. Otowara was also as a starter for Team Japan, playing the three technique position, which suits him due to his better speed but lower power than Gaou, the starting Nose Tackle. After the World Cup, he rejoins Shin & Sakuraba at Ojo Silver Knights in college. *40-yard-dash: 5.4 seconds initially, most likely faster by the time of the Fall Season. *Position: Lineman *Bench-press: 135 kg, 140 kg in Volume 11, 145 kg (230th Down) *Jersey Number: 60 *3rd Year Student (Grade 12) TECHNIQUES/STRATEGIES *'Squib Kick' - Used on the final play of the game against the Devil Bats, Otowara kicks the ball at an extremely low angle in an attempt to keep Deimon from returning it for a touchdown. *'Defensive/Offensive Charge' - In order to make use of his bulk and strength more effectively, Otowara trained to increase his speed. Daigo Ikari * Seiyū: Eiji Takemoto (猪狩 大吾 Ikari Daigo) Otherwise know as the delinquient, "Prison Chain Ikari." A silver-haired freshman on the White Knights team, plays mostly on the defensive line with Ootawara. Ikari is kept chained up because irrational behavior, which is mainly because he takes a lot of pride being part of Ojou High. He has no respect toward the graduated 'Golden Generation' members, since he never played with them. He managed to get himself ejected from his first game against the Sankaku Punks by attacking their coach, who had just insulted Sakuraba. He never plays in a game until the match with Deimon. Ikari finally gets to play in the game between Ojo and Deimon; Shin has brought forth the idea that the Knights throw everything they've got at the Bats. Prior to this game, he finally broke free of his chains, being allowed to play alongside the other White Knights in their climactic showdown. On the very first play of the Ojo-Deimon game, in which Sena's running the opening kickoff back, Ikari pre-empts Shin's Trident tackle with a tackle of his own — resembling Kenshiro's fighting style, specifically the Hokuto Hyaku Retsu Ken . However, when the play was blown dead, Ikari wasn't done — he charged headlong for Sena again to finish him off. Had it not been for Jūmonji, the Bats lineman blocking him, Sena would have been injured. Throughout the remainder of the game, Ikari spends most of the time brawling with Jūmonji on the field, and had assists in several key plays. In the end, his first game proved to be his last for the season as the Devil Bats win in the final second. He is later seen as a spectator during the Kanto Finals, back in chains again. *Position:Defensive Lineman *Jersey Number: 66 *Bench-press: 120 kg *Ikari shares the same jersey number as a famous NFL linebacker, Ray Nitschke of the Green Bay Packers *Like he doesn't look insane enough already, he wears eye-black in the shape of lightning bolts, like on the Ojo jersey. TECHNIQUES/STRATEGIES *Hokuto Hyaku Retsu Ken — not given its name in ES21 yet but it is, for all intents and purposes, Kenshiro's very own Hundred Crack Fist of the North Star stuck on the end of a charging run. This technique is very reckless and causes Ikari to be so focused on stopping an opposing player, that he loses sight of the ball. This is also useless against the Devil Bat Ghost. Gunpei Shōji * Seiyū: Tetsuo Komura (庄司軍平 Shōji Gunpei) Nickname 'Shogun' by some, Shōji is the head coach and trainer of the Ojo White Knights. During his years in university, he was an ace player for his football team, along with Deimon's trainer Doburoku. Together, they were known at the Twin Japanese Blades. Unlike his former teammate, Shōji had avoided seriously injuring himself during the Death March Training. He's a harsh but fair coach and he firmly believes that victory can only be achieved through ultimate defense. He had immediately recognized Shin's potential and had instructed the upper classmen of the team to make certain that Shin was not recruited by any other clubs. He believes that the current team of White Knights is the strongest ever. Though he and Doburoku are now on opposite sides of the field and are now facing each other as rivals, both still hold great respect toward one another. The two meet on the field prior to the game, in which their teams will face each other in the semi-finals, and both reminisce on their past and how far the Devil Bats and the White Knights have come to get to this point. With the Devil Bats becoming more tenacious in the 2nd half of the game, Shōji changed the defensive patterns and player assignments in order to prevent Deimon from gaining more points. With the White Knights' season over, and Shin being elected as the new team captain, Shōji approves of his linebacker's goal to surpass Sena in the following year as this will make him stronger. *Position: Coach/Trainer Koharu Wakana * Seiyū: Sakenobe Mika (若菜小春 Wakana Koharu) Wakana is the manager and assistant to Gunpei and the Ojo White Knights. She records most of the football games and catches thrown garbage with a trash bin. She develops a friendship with fellow member Takami and Deimon's Mamori and Suzuna. It was said that she actually became manager to avoid working in her parents in grocery store. Shinryūji Naga Taiyō Sphinx The are known as one of the best teams in the Kanagawa prefecture. They are renowned for their "Pyramid Line" composed of strong and heavy linemen. ( ) is the captain of the team, who is distinguished by his massive physique, complete baldness, and multiple scars from training. He does all he can to protect ( ), the team's below average quarterback. Harao is initially quick to blame the rest of the team for their shortcomings, though he eventually realizes his flaws and trains hard to correct them. ( ) is the second-largest player on the Pyramid Line, and is a slow, rotund player who is easily tricked. ( ) is a tall first-year cornerback who, while slow, is capable of slowing down receivers and preventing them from catching passes with his bump technique, the "Chariot Bump". Nasa Shuttles The is a fictional American football team from the United States in the manga and anime series Eyeshield 21. Based in Houston, Texas, the team (formerly known as the ) is an all-around American team brought to Japan to take on the local high school Deimon Devil Bats in an exhibition match to promote the sport in the country. The team is notable for their precise offense, powerful defense and for a powerful running game, as well as a former history of segregation due to the racism of their coach to prevent African-American athletes on his team. * Team Mascot: Alien * Team colours: electric blue and yellow (different shades to Taiyō — closer to that of the Swedish flag) * Helmet logo: an atom with electron paths traced around it The Aliens first play a practice game against Zokugaku University's Frilled Lizards and slaughter them with a score of 73-0. There was a bet before the game with Deimon and the terms were that if a team didn't win by more than 10 points, then that team would stay in the opposite country (Japan for NASA, US for Deimon). Deimon lost by one point (32-33), but only because they lacked a kicker and Sena was too exhausted to try the Devil Bat Dive at the end. Neither team succeeded in one-upping each other by 10 points. So Deimon went to America, while NASA stayed. In actuality, this was all according to Hiruma's plans since he wanted the Devil Bats to gain more experience against a veteran team and trainin the United States. Panther, the teams ace running back is the only member to make the American team for the World Football Cup, though he has arranged for a tryout for QB Homer due to defeating his coach Morgan in a duel. Leonard Apollo * (レオナルド・アポロ) Apollo is the coach of the Nasa Aliens team and has an extreme prejudice against those who have innate talents, rather than using skills earned by training. This is the main reason why he does not allow Panther to play during games . He is also racist against African Americans, and he dislikes the Japanese as well, thinking that they are weak and submissive as compared to the Americans. Due to this attitude, he initially cancels an exhibition game in Japan against the Devil Bats. However, after seeing a video from Hiruma humiliating him, he calls for a rematch. In truth, the coach's real motivation for excluding Panther is jealousy. In his days as an NFL player, Apollo, despite his considerable efforts , was never more than a benchwarmer. When it looked like he would finally play, the bigwigs of his team, the San Antonio Armadillos, hired Morgan, an extremely talented sprinter and an African American, much like Panther. Apollo was cut from the team, and the flashback he had during the Deimon game showed him asking for one more chance to play, then being denied. Bitter about it all, Apollo went on to find his ideal high school team (Nasa Aliens) that relied solely in perfectly executed and superior strategies without leaning on the performance of talented aces. As coach, he also made up the rule that any team member who made a mistake on the field would immediately be substituted. When Apollo's strategies during the Deimon game crumbled in front of Hiruma's tricks and Eyeshield's speed, Apollo reluctantly allowed Panther to play, after the whole team begged him. Panther agreed that he would quit the team if he failed to stop Eyeshield. While Panther was playing on defense, Watt and Homer revealed that for a long time, despite how badly Panther was treated, Panther had always admired Apollo, because he was a hard-working man. Despite the failure to win by ten points, the coach commented with his back turned during the hand-shaking that it was a good game. When the Alien's change their name to the NASA Shuttles and board a bus to leave Japan, Apollo reminded Panther of the deal, which Panther didn't exactly accomplish on his end ("Never call yourself a NASA Alien again"). However, Apollo told him that there would be a number 20 uniform for the Running Back (Panther) of the new "NASA Shuttles" team (#20 was Apollo's uniform number during his NFL days with the San Antonio Armadillos). This loophole allowed the team to go back to America and let Panther play. In the manga, as the World Football Youth Cup is about to begin, Panther has a flashback where it appears that Apollo was training Panther head to head, and after Panther reached the limitation on his natural talent, Apollo taught him every technique that he knew. This, along with Panther's natural talent and the hard work he gained over the years gives Panther the title, "Worlds Fastest Man". In the anime, Apollo meets up with Morgan during the tournament between the 4 great teams. At this point, Morgan was the coach of the Russian team. Though the Aliens/Shuttles put up a good fight against Morgan's team, the Blizzards, they still lose. Dejected, Apollo considered quitting football altogether, but changes his mind after Hiruma invites him to watch the game with the Devil Bats against the Blizzards. Seeing the Bats work hard to come back from a lopsided first half, , Apollo regains his drive and determination. * Position: Coach Patrick "Panther" Spencer * (パトリック・スペンサー) Panther is a good-natured person who has extraordinary running talents, but has been reduced to being a ball boy, due to Apollo's prejudice. He trains everyday by running across rooftops. Panther's dream is to become a pro NFL player and make money so that his grandmother would no longer have to work. He has always looked up to Apollo despite Apollo's terrible treatment, because Apollo always trained three times as much as anyone, which becomes Panther's work ethic as well. Initially, he wasn't interested in going to Japan since he really wanted to compete against Shin instead of Deimon. Then he saw Eyeshield 21's running ability on Hiruma's web video and wanted to run against him. Eventually, he and Sena become good friends and promised to play on equal terms the next time they met on the field. In chapter 306, Panther is shown as one of the American players coming to the American Football Youth World Cup. He is considered one of the top two players, and the top runner, in America, and is the fastest man in the world. He is extremely motivated for the upcoming World Youth Cup, because the ultimate prize for the best player in the match is an automatic contract with the San Antonio Armadillos as well as 3 million dollars. When Morgan promises to let Homer join if Panther can get passed him or take the ball from him. He succeds and Homer is made the quarterback of the second American team. In chapter 312 of the manga, Panther has been revealed to have a 40-yard dash of 4.10 seconds, amazingly and surprisingly breaking the 4.2 speed of light barrier, previously thought to be unbeatable. He is revealed to have won the MVP in the Youth Championship during a flashback in Chapter 333 following the scrimage Japan and America had after a 45-45 tie in the championship game. In episode 145 in the anime, during the future scene, he is shown to be playing for Hiruma's team. The American Casinos in the manga Rank his abilities at this point as: *Speed:SS *Power:C *Technique:S His odds to Win MVP are 3.3 to 1 compare to anyone on the Japanese team having 2000 to 1 odds. * Went to NASA middle school * Position: Running Back * Jersey Number: 20/22 * 40-Yard Dash: 4.1 seconds (312th down) * Bench Press: 70kgs TECHNIQUES/STRATEGIES * Zero-Gravity Run — Panther's specialty is called the Zero-Gravity Run, which allows him to run at great speeds with extremely light footsteps. Unlike Sena's method of sharp turns and cuts, Panther can run like water, using the minimal amount of movement needed to slide around obstacles. * Stiff-Arm — Panther also uses one hand to hold onto the ball, while the other is extended to ward off opposing blockers. This is a standard block used commonly by other Running Backs in the NFL. However, this gives his opponent a chance to slap the ball away, causing a fumble. * Moon Salto Formation - (Anime) This strategy arranges the linemen in a crescent formation. This allows for maximum frontal protection for the Running Back. This is similar to Deimon's Sweeper tactic, but is done in a straight line rather than diagonally. * Panther Ghost - (Anime) This is Panther's version of the Devil Bat Ghost that he recently learned, when the Devil Bats returned to America for a tournament between 4 great teams. He can do this at the same speed Sena can. Jeremy Watt * (ジェレミー・ワット) Watt is the Wide Receiver of the Nasa Aliens, and he also serves as team's translator. Most of his knowledge and obsession with Japan is pinpointed to an encounter with Shun Kakei when he played for Phoenix Junior High. He is able to calculate the landing point for Homer's Shuttle Pass with pinpoint accuracy like. Watt has been seen using computers and upon discovering a humorous though disrespectful webvideo of Coach Apollo, he shares his find with his team mates. Watt is also skilled at video-games. * Position: Wide Receiver * Jersey Number: 81 * 40-Yard Dash: 4.8 seconds Homer Fitzgerald * (ホーマー・フィッツジェラルド) Homer is the quarterback of the Nasa Aliens and his specialty is being able to heave a football from over half the length of the field. Along with Watt, he's one of Panther's closest friends, and helped him endure Apollo's racial attitude against African Americans. Homer's biggest problem is throwing control as the ball tends to go off-course. Another thing to note is that due to Homer's upper-body strength, tackling him at the waist is not enough to sack him. However, by going for his passing arm, his ability to throw the ball is stopped. * Went to NASA middle school * 40-yard dash record: 5.6 seconds * Bench Press: 130kgs * Position: Quarterback * Jersey Number: 5 TECHNIQUES/STRATEGIES * Shuttle Pass — The Shuttle Pass is considered the signature move of the team. Homer starts by counting down from three and throws the ball for his receiver to catch, usually near the goal line of the opposing team. However, it requires a longer time to initiate the pass, which leaves the quarterback open to blitzes that result in sacks. The Muscle Barrier, the name given to the line, is crucial in ensuring the success of the pass. Gonzales (Big Brother) * (ニーサン・ゴンザレス Nīsan Gonzalez) The largest member on the Nasa Aliens. He plays center on the line. His massive size and enormous power can easily overpower weak players and even Kurita at times. He has more power than Kurita, but less weight. However, his slow speed makes it easy for faster opponents to dodge. His catch-phrase is "Big Useful!" Before going to Japan, he wanted to get a kanji tattoo which meant 'big and useful guy.' He asked Watt about the kanji for 'big' and 'useful.' However, due to a mis-translation by Watt, his tattoo reads "Big Poop Guy". * Position: Center/Guard * Jersey Number: 50 Gonzales (Little Brother) * (オットー・ゴンザレス Otto Gonzalez) Though lacking in size and overall strength of his sibling, the younger Gonzales makes up for it in speed and tenacity. He's about the same size as Komusubi. He admires his brother and wanted to be known as the Small Helpful Guy. As with his big brother, he went to Watt for a kanji tattoo as well and the kanji for 'small' and 'helpful' translates as PEE, and that gives him the title of Little Pee Guy. * Position: Linebacker * Jersey Number: 70 Amino Cyborgs The are a team that uses medical technology to improve their physical condition, and they have a firm belief that victory can only be achieved through medical science. Their school has used the method to become champions in a number of other sports, so they create the Cyborgs in an attempt to conquer American football. The Cyborgs are captained by linebacker ( ), who also captained the school's championship-winning basketball and soccer teams two years prior. ( ) is a lineman, and the cornerback, ( ), uses motion capture technology to optimize his running ability. Kyoshin Poseidon uses its members height to their advantage, both in stopping passes and catching passes. Their colours are gray-blue and green. The uniform has scales on the jerseys/pants and fins on the helmets. * is the captain of the team. He and the other third-year players are of below-average height, so he doesn't take much of a leadership role and instead defers to Kakei for advice. Kobanzame has a tendency to stutter and mess up quotations in his attempts to raise the morale of the team. Although weaker than his teammates, he still rigorously trains to make up for his shortcomings. * is the de facto captain of the team due to Osamu's shyness. He wishes to meet the "real" Eyeshield 21, having witnessed his ability during middle school in the United States. Though Eyeshield promised to play Shun again, he soon disappears, which causes Shun to travel to back to Japan in order to find him. He despises Sena for using the name and wishes to prove that he is inferior. He eventually learns that Yamato is the player he is looking for and helps train Jumonji to make sure he is defeated. Kakei is physically distinguished by his great height and long powerful arms, which allows him to gain leverage on an opponent. * is an extremely cheerful and lighthearted lineman, who is a former swimming champion. After quitting the swimming team due his teammates lacking the drive to win, he is recruited by Shun. He has pride in his abilities, and he has a habit of being disrespectful to others. Due to his swimming background, he has a habit of randomly stripping down to his boxers. His height allows him to easily overpower shorter players, and his experience in swimming allows for a "swimmer's start", which allows him to burst forward quickly and push down other linemen. * and are the two tallest high school American football players in Japan, who greatly look up to Kakei. They fight over a number of different things, including over which one is Kakei's first "disciple." Ohira tends to act quite passionately and cries a lot, while Onishi dislikes sharing a name with his rival, and sometimes excludes his rival from the team's group accomplishments. Seibu Wild Gunmen The are a team from the Kantō region of Japan. They are considered to be the strongest offensive team in Tokyo, and a favorite to win the tournament. Their cheerleaders, lead by , dress in cowgirl outfits and use fake guns. Their team colours are dark blue and 2-tone brown, with copper helmets. The Kid : , known as "The Kid" to everyone else, is the son of a Olympic gold medalist in pistol shooting. He was trained by his father to be a winner in shooting, and he was made to feel like a failure after any loss. He eventually left his home and abandoned his name. Due to his background in shooting, he is known for "Quick-Draw Pass", where he throws the football in 0.15 seconds by using both of his hands to generate a fast spiral. He pairs with his childhood friend, Tetsuma, who always sticks to a planned path, so Kid can instantly throw the ball to him. He is very laid back and he believes something bad always follows something good. While most other players dream of reaching the Christmas Bowl, he initially lacks any sort of goal in playing, as he believes having a goal will only lead to it being crushed. Jo Tetsuma : is the childhood friend of Kid and the son of Kid's father's driver. He is very quiet and he will follow any order given by Kid or the coach. Without specific direction, he will follow the order to the extreme, such as running for three days until collapsing after being told to go run. He memorizes a number of different passing routes, and once Kid calls one out, he will not falter from the course unless overpowered. He does act upon his own impulses to help keep Monta from attacking the referee to keep the Devil Bats from being disqualified. Riku Kaitani : is a childhood friend of Sena, who teaches him how to run extremely fast in order to stand up to bullies. Riku eventually moves away and meets Sena again after joining the Gunmen. He is slower than Sena's top speed by .3 seconds (40yard 4.5s), but due to Sena being unable to keep the speed the entire game at the time, they are equal much of the time. His signature technique is the "Rodeo Drive", which employs a "stiff-leg" running style (Or a goose-step in rugby) while leaning his upper body forward in quick spurts, giving him explosive acceleration for seconds. He can also use it to stop opposing runners, and he later develops the "Roping Rodeo Drive", which allows him to weave and turn without stopping by stepping in a circular form similar to a rugby maneuver. He promises Sena that he will make to the final at the Kantou Tournament and fight Deimon once more. Unfortunately, Seibu is defeated by Hakushu Dinosaur that has Gaou Rikiya and Marco at the Semifinal. Buffalo Ushijima : is a dreadlocked, large lineman for Seibu. He is one of the few defense-oriented players on the mostly offensive team He uses "Twin Horns", a western lariat technique in which he punches the opponents side and then their chest with an uppercut. Billy "Doc" Holiday * is the coach of the Wild Gunmen, who carries around two pistols. His main philosophy revolves around a fast-shooting offense that crushes the opponent. He owns a massive ranch near Houston, Texas, which is also be used as Seibu's American training grounds for the Kanto Tournament. His ranch is filled with cattle for rodeos and milk production, and a massive bull. Bando Spiders The is a team whose members were recruited away by the Teikoku Alexanders after coming in second place in the Tokyo tournament the previous year. They use a unique kicking-based strategy and a blocking method, known as "Spider Poison", which involves shoving against an opposing player in a very specific spot at the moment that their center of gravity shifts. Their team colours are red and blue. * is the tight end for the Spiders and the team's captain. He is obsessed with music and often plays his electric guitar. He uses musical metaphors to state his opinions, and he has the belief that everyone has a similar obsession for music. He joins the Alexanders, but after a confrontation with the team's kicker, he decides to return to Bando. Though he cannot play for six months due to the school's policy, he helps the team by devising their strategy and teaching them "Spider Poison, which he created through many hours of research. He introduces himself as "the real Eyeshield 21", and uses a technique called "Run Force" to force blockers into certain positions to set up a tackle. He joins the college football club Saikyodai Wizards after high school. * is the skilled kicker of the team,, who rejects Teikoku's offer. He has tremendous pride in his kicks and believes kicks to be of incredible importance. He doesn't get along with Akaba, and he forms a one-sided rivalry with Deimon's Musashi, having heard the urban legend of Musashi's sixty-yard field goal. He is extremely accurate with his kicks, allowing Bando to design plays on kickoffs based on where his kicks will land. He joins the college football club Enma Fire. * , also known as "Julie", is the manager and Kotaro's childhood friend. She often has to deal with the disagreements between Kotaro and Akaba, and she has demonstrates awareness of the fact that the two are similar in their bizarre behavior and dedication to winning football games. Hakushu Dinosaurs The are a black horse team, who easily progresses through the tournament and defeat several favorites. Team colours are khaki and black, with multiple claw slashes on the uniforms. Reiji Maruko : , also known as "Marco", is the quarterback and captain. He has a very suave attitude while things are progressing his way, but he is easily flustered when faced with a strong opponent. He goes by Marco because he thinks his real name sound like that of a girl's name, and he wears an Italian suit. He is smitten with the manager of the team, , and he vows to show her "the morning sunshine after a victory" before she graduates. Marco makes it his absolute goal to beat the Alexanders, so he has no problems with having other players injured. This strains their relationship somewhat, though she still admires his optimism and ambition. Marco is an expert in following the movements of the ball, allowing him to completely ignore the other players and their feints, and stealing it with his spinning "Screw Bite." He is also able to follow and react to the opposing quarterback with extreme efficiency. Rikiya Gaou is a rookie to American football with an extremely large build and monstrous strength. He holds the Japanese bench press record with over two hundred kilograms and is capable of tearing metal guardrails, breaking regular mouthpieces with his teeth, causing him to use one made of a titanium alloy, and breaking normal people's bones with his bare hands. He wishes to find someone who can match his power, which leads Marco to recruit him with the promise of facing the strongest individuals. Despite wanting a power match, Gaou respects all of the rules, though he will destroy property outside of games on a whim. He has little respect for those not willing to face him directly and tremendous respect for those who do even if they are crushed. He is not above asking for help if he requires it, such as learning Akira Chuubou's Delta Dynamite move in order to win against Mr. Don. After his high school years, he joins the semipro football club Takekura Babels in the X-League. Hiromi Kisaragi is a frail and effeminate player known as the "left arm of Hakushu". He is also obsessed with strength, frequently stating that "strength is beautiful". He is very envious of those with strength as he has been picked on all of his life. He has below average strength, speed, and stamina, but he is a skilled cornerback due to being able to use his "Ptera Claw" technique to force his slender arm into an opponents hold on a ball to tear it away. Teikoku Alexanders The is a team based out of Osaka. They are known as the ultimate all-star team that has never been lead against, never called a timeout, and that has won the Christmas Bowl since its inception. They recruit the best players from all around the country and stick them into a six tiered ranking system in order to force them to improve. Players who want to move up in the ranks must memorize over one thousand different plays and all of the first string members must be able to run forty yards in under five seconds. Team colours are black and gold. Takeru Yamato is the original Eyeshield 21 and the captain of the team. He obtained the title during his stay in America in the Notre Dame college. In the 8th grade he lacked his extreme speed and strength, so he focused everything on balance to become unstoppable in a charge. After he failed to stop a player from stealing the ball from him, Donald Oberman, believing him to be not ready, had him removed from the school. He returned to Japan in order to reach the top and find an opponent capable of facing him. He runs using the "Caesar's Charge", which uses his remarkable balance to make him nearly unstoppable while running. Even against numerous players, he can easily shake them off while still running at top speed. He can also use this technique on defense, and he is able to use his arms to keep the opponent from escaping to the sides. Though he cannot reach the speed of forty yards in 4.2 seconds, he can combine his balance and crossover steps combined with cutting steps at the same time to use a "ghost" technique similar to Sena's, and if he focuses all of his energy, he can reach the speed of 40 yards in 4.2 seconds. Yamato is knowledgeable in nearly all the possible football strategies and the tactics used by an opponent. Karin Koizumi is the quarterback of the team, and the only female player in the series. She is recruited by Taka after he witnesses she throws a ball back to him. She is reluctant at first but agrees after Yamato talks to her. She eventually grows to love the sport and trains hard to improve her dodging ability to the point where she can easily bypass someone inches away from her. She has a very shy personality, similar to Sena, and she has a number of fans. Her "Floral Shoot" goes extremely high, so that only someone with Taka's catching abilities can receive it, and it has nearly perfect accuracy. Taka Honjo is the son of Masaru Honjo, known as one of the best catchers in baseball. Masaru constantly trained Taka during his youth, . He has no goal, which leads Masaru to attempt to find a strong opponent for him. He has the Japanese high school record in the long jump, which allows him to seem like he is walking on air when catching the ball. He eventually finds a suitable rival in Monta, who initially fears going against Taka due to Masaru being his idol. Kureji Hera , also known as Heracles, is a large-set player and the official captain of Alexanders' squad. He has a bizarre sense of humor, donning several different sets of clothing in a span of minutes to suit different roles. He can be very intimidating on the field and he partners with Reisuke Aki, also known as Achilles, who is considered to be an idiot. They use "Cross Stunts", in which they cross paths to confuse players. Achilles generally runs while Heracles hold the opponent at bay. Others *'Doujirou Tenma' is the former ace Runningback of the Shinryuuji Nagas. He is called "The Sideline Edge's Magician" because he is able to run on the extremely close to the sidelines without losing his balance or momentum. He has a number of women fans. *'Orio Tokashiki' is the former captain of the Okinawa High Boxers and uses his boxing stance to his advantage against his opponent's linemen. *'Mikoto Sano' is the former ace Receiver of the Shachi Goldens team. He is able to catch a pass at a very low altitude due to his flexibility. *'Hotei' is Kansai's number one kicker, with the success rate of 99%. He is a rather pudgy and jolly person with good humor. * is the former quarterback of the Bando Spiders. He ends up becoming the manager of the Alexanders due to being unable to make it out of the forth string. He used to be considered the best quarterback in Tokyo, so he is very resentful of Karin. Team USA Team USA is coached by former NFL star , who will sign the MVP from the world tournament's winning team to his NFL team, , and pay 300 million yen. Five first-string players for Team USA share the title of "Pentagram", named for the stars on the US flag. These five players are regarded as the top candidates for the MVP award. The team is led by , the son of the president, who is a lineman. He is known to be unrivaled in power, and he likes to constantly drink and hang around women. He believes that natural talent and hard work are required to succeed, and he looks down on non-American players. He knows a number of languages, including Japanese. Panther of the Shuttles is the running back of the team, who wishes to face Sena during the competition. is the quarterback, who is known as the "Invincible Gambler". He likes to act arrogant as a bluff to make opponents back down during poker and on the playing field and the best QB ever. He has shown great investigative and strategical abilities on par with those of Yoichi. He can run as fast as Sena and accurately pass the ball at top speed. is the cornerback and an action movie star in Hollywood, famous for doing his own stunts. He believes in entertaining the audience even during games and he should have gotten MVP prize because he runs a 4.4 and benches 130 kg. is the linebacker, who is the tallest player within the tournament. He is known as the "Human Dome", who can block any pass at the height of 210 cm. Other characters Ganjo Iwashima is the ace running back of the Sado Strong Golems. His body is well-trained, and stated by himself and others to be "rock-hard". He is rather perverted, with a love of women with big breasts. His coach instructs him to knock opponents away by diving into their chests, because "young men love breasts". Heinrich Schultz Heinrich Schultz' is the leader of Team Germany during the international tournament. He considers knowledge to be the most important factor in American football, and takes care to memorize the statistics of each player by utilizing his eidetic memory. Although his country is the strongest in the NFLE, he is not arrogant about the fact. He uses his knowledge of opponents to predict their movements, and he has the "Speed of Light Dash" of Sena and Shin. Kaoru Hatsujo : is the captain of the Koigahama Cupids, a very weak team that loses to Deimon in their first match. The team is known for bringing their girlfriends to matches and teasing the opponents if they don't have any cheerleaders. He is known for his ability as a kicker, though the team easily loses their matches. Kumabukuro "Bomberhead" Kumabukuro is a retired American football player, who becomes a reporter for the American Football Monthly magazine. He is noted to have a hatred for the helmets messing up his hair, and people think that his massive afro was grown in spite of it. He often appears with "Machine Gun" Sanada, a commentator known for his fast, rapid fire delivery of commentary, and his daughter, Riko Kumabukuro, a high school student studying to become a reporter like her father. Riko later replaces her father as Sanada's commentating partner. Masaru Honjo Masaru Honjo is a retired star outfielder for the Shuei Bears baseball team, known for his extraordinary catches. He becomes a Chairman of Kansai's Highschool Football Association, and he often watches the games with the head commissioner of Kanto's Highschool Football Association, who believes football to be a battle where only victory exists. He is Monta's idol, and after seeing Monta play, he remembers meeting him and inspires Monta to keep playing. He reveals that while he admires Monta's spirit, the encouragement is simply so his son, Taka, can have a rival. Miracle Ito Miracle Ito is Sakuraba's manager, who takes more of an interest in Sakaruba's modeling career than his football career. Ito wears cheap but expensive looking suits to appear successful, and he does everything he can to make Sakuraba popular. After Sakurba shaves his head and becomes completely focused on football, Ito is devastated. He eventually backs the decision, deciding to market him for his athletic prowess and even begins to honestly cheer for him. Nakabou Akira Nakabou "Chuubou" Akira is a middle school student, who admires Sena and wishes to become an American Football player after seeing him. He attempts to try out for the Japanese team for the international tournament by copying Sena's moves. Though he is initially laughed at, he shows that he can use the "Delta Dynamite", a blocking technique that involves ramming the enemy with the head, shoulder, and fist simultaneously in a delta shape, which makes the block three times more powerful. He becomes a prominent lineman on the team, though if his timing is messed up, he is very weak on the field. Oka Oka is the head nurse at a local hospital. She has a ghastly appearance and she is obsessed with the occult. She constantly talks of curses and ghosts of deceased patients, which unnerves people. Her son plays for the Noroi Occults in the Fall Tokyo Tournament. Onihei Yamamoto : is a lineman, who is greatly admired and respected by other linemen, especially Kurita. He is very powerful despite his smaller body, and he leads the Hashiratani Deers, a favorite in the Autumn Tokyo Tournament. He becomes friends with Torakichi, who quite accurately believes, after observing some of Onihei's predictions, that anything that Onihei predicts is wrong. Rui Habashira : is the captain of the Zokugaku Chameleons. Though Rui and the team members are mainly delinquents, Rui cares deeply about American Football. He acts like a thug in order to gain respect from his teammates, and he forces them to practice through threats and violence. After losing to the Devil Bats, they are forced to help them train and give them rides on their motorcycles to repay a wager made on their game, though after being released from service, they still help the Devil Bats out of respect. Habashira is a linebacker, who uses his extremely long arms to block opponents. He enters the international tournament as the "Mummy Man" in order to play while also making sure his teammates aren't bothered by him being there. The team's manager, ( ), is a rough, no-nonsense woman who carries a wooden practice sword and is not above torturing the team members in order to get them to train harder. Sasuke Kanagushi : is the Dokubari Scorpions' team captain and safety. Their style is to predict the actions of their opponent and react accordingly. Kanagushi's main strength is his ability to recognize opposing players' body language and use this to predict what actions they will take. Torakichi Nanpa Torakichi Nanpa is a grade-school fan of Sakuraba, who wishes to become a player after witnessing Sakaruba catching a very high pass by accident. Even after learning that Sakuraba is really a sub-par player, Torakichi remains a loyal fan and encourages him to become stronger. He is hospitalized with a broken leg, which leaves him unable to play football for up to two years. He almost gives up on his dream, but he is inspired by Sakaruba to continue with his rehabilitation. Reception References Category:Eyeshield 21 Category:Eyeshield 21 characters Eyeshield 21 Category:Fictional players of American football fr:Personnages d'Eyeshield 21 ja:アイシールド21の登場人物 zh-yue:衝鋒21角色一覽 zh:光速蒙面俠21角色列表